40 CFR 21.3 - Submission of applications.

(a) Applications for the statement described in § 21.5 of this part shall be made to the EPA Regional Office for the region covering the State in which the additions, alterations, or methods of operation covered by the application are located. A listing of EPA Regional Offices, with their mailing addresses, and setting forth the States within each region is as follows:

Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the territories of American Samoa and Guam; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; the territories of Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Islands; and certain U.S. Government activities in the freely associated states of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

(b) An application described in paragraph (1) of § 21.3(c) may be submitted directly to the appropriate State, where a State has assumed responsibility for issuing the statement. Information on whether EPA has retained responsibility for certification or whether it has been assumed by the State may be obtained from either the appropriate Regional Administrator or the State Water Pollution Control Authority in which the facility is located.

(c) An application need be in no particular form, but it must be in writing and must include the following:

(1) Name of applicant (including business name, if different) and mailing address. Address of the affected facility or operation, if different, should also be included.

(2) Signature of the owner, partner, or principal executive officer requesting the statement.

(3) The Standard Industrial Classification number for the business for which an application is being submitted. Such SIC number shall be obtained from the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1972 edition. If the applicant does not know the SIC for the business, a brief description of the type of business activity being conducted should be provided.

(4) A description of the process or activity generating the pollution to be abated by the additions, alterations, or methods of operation covered by the application, accompanied by a schematic diagram of the major equipment and process, where practicable.

(5) A specific description of the additions, alterations, or methods of operation covered by the application. Where appropriate, such description will include a summary of the facility construction to be undertaken; a listing of the major equipment to be purchased or utilized in the operation of the facility; the purchase of any land or easements necessary to the operation of the facility; and any other items that the applicant deems pertinent. Any information that the applicant considers to be a trade secret shall be identified as such.

(6) A declaration of the requirement, or requirements, for compliance with which the alterations, additions, or methods of operation are claimed to be necessary and adequate.

(i) If the requirement results from a permit issued by EPA or a State under section 402 of the Act, the permit number shall be included.

(ii) If the requirement results from a permit issued by EPA or a State for a publicly-owned treatment works, the municipal permit number shall be included along with a written declaration from the authorized agent for the publicly owned treatment works that received the permit detailing the specific pretreatment requirements being placed upon the applicant.

(iii) If the requirement initiates from a plan to include the applicant's effluent in an existing municipal sewer system through the construction of lateral or interceptor sewers, a written declaration from the authorized agent for the publicly owned treatment works shall be included noting that the sewer construction is consistent with the integrity of the system; will not result in the capacity of the publicly owned treatment works being exceeded; and where applicable, is consistent with a facilities plan developed under section 201 of the Act (see 35 CFR part 917).

(iv) If the requirement results from a State order, regulation, or other enforceable authority controlling pollution from a vessel as provided by section 312(f)(3) of the Act, a written declaration from the authorized agent of the State specifying the control measures being required of the applicant shall be included.

(v) If the requirement is a result of a permit issued by the Corps of Engineers related to permits for dredged or fill material as provided by section 404 of the Act, a copy of the permit as issued shall be included.

(vi) If the requirement results from a standard of performance for control of sewage from vessels as promulgated by the Coast Guard under section 312(b) of the Act, the vessel registration number or documentation number shall be included.

(vii) If the requirement results from a plan to control or prevent the discharge or spill of pollutants as identified in section 311 of the Act, the title and date of that plan shall be included.

(viii) If the requirement is the result of an order by a State or an areawide management agency controlling the disposal of aqueous pollutants so as to protect groundwater, a copy of the order as issued shall be included.

(7) Additionally, if the applicant has received from a State Water Pollution Control Agency a permit issued by the State within the preceding two years, and if such permit was not issued under the authorities of section 402 of the Act, and where the permit directly relates to abatement of the discharge for which a statement is sought, a copy of that permit shall also be included.

Comment: Some States under State permit programs, separate and distinct from the NPDES permit program under the Act, conduct an engineering review of the facilities or equipment that would be used to control pollution. The results of such a review would be materially helpful in determining the necessity and adequacy of any alterations or additions.

(8) Any written information from a manufacturer, supplier, or consulting engineer, or similar independent source, concerning the design capabilities of the additions or alterations covered by the application, including any warranty limitations or certifications obtained from or provided by such sources which would bear upon these design or performance capabilities. The Regional Administrator may waive the requirement for this paragraph if it appears that there is no independent source for the information described herein; as, for example, when the applicant has designed and constructed the additions or alterations with in-house capability.

(9) An estimated schedule for the construction or implementation of the alterations, additions, or methods of operation.

(10) An estimated cost of the alterations, additions, or methods of operation, and where practicable, the individual costs of major elements of the construction to be undertaken.

(11) Information on previously received loan assistance under this section for the facility or method of operation, including a description and dates of the activity funded.

(d) A separate application must be submitted for every addition, alteration, or method of operation that is at a separate geographical location from the initial application.

Comment: As an example, a chain has four dry cleaning establishments scattered through a community. A separate application would have to be filed for each.

(e) No statement shall be approved for any application that has not included the information or declaration requirements imposed by paragraph (c)(6) of § 21.3.

(f) All applications are to be submitted in duplicate.

(g) All applications are subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1001 regarding prosecution for the making of false statements or the concealing of material facts.

(h) Instructional guidelines to assist in the submission of applications for EPA certification are available from EPA or a certifying State.